Fun is not a Four Letter Word
by forensicsfan
Summary: Sara's working too hard. Nick convinces her to go out with him and Warrick.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Didn't create them. Taking liberties with them. Etc.  
  
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Sara had a migraine. She's been examining hair and fiber samples for several hours and it had given her a royal headache. She didn't know why Nick wasn't working on this case. Hair and fiber analysis was his specialty, not hers. Not that you can pick your crime scene by the evidence it has to offer. Unless your name is Gil Grissom that is. He was always being called out to do insect analysis at crime scenes. Well when there are only a handful of forensic entomologists in the country, that's what happens. Still, Nick's specialty was hair and fiber analysis, not hers. She could sure use his help, especially since her head had begun to pound the theme song to 'George of the Jungle'.  
  
"What are you looking at, Sar?" Nick asked leaning over her shoulder.  
  
Sara jumped, knocking Nick in the jaw in the process with her shoulder, "You scared the crap out of me, Nick!"  
  
Nick rubbed his jaw, but managed to smile, "I hope you have a change of clothes then."  
  
It took Sara a minute to catch his joke, "Very funny, Stokes."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow, "What are you looking at?"  
  
She leaned back and gestured toward the high powered microscope, "Be my guest."  
  
Nick leaned in and chuckled as he looked at the slide, "Cat hair."  
  
"Cat hair?" Sara replied.  
  
He glanced over at Sara, "Not just any cat hair though."  
  
She raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Don't tell me you know the cat's name."  
  
Nick tried to restrain a smile, "Close, I can narrow it down to a handful."  
  
She crossed her arms in front of her, "And just how do you expect me to believe that?"  
  
"White tigers." Nick replied with a lopsided grin on his face.  
  
Sara closed her eyes and chuckled rubbing her temples.  
  
"You're working on that case at the Mirage aren't you?" Nick queried.  
  
She opened her eyes and nodded, "Yeah."  
  
"Well, these came from one of the white tigers there." Nick concluded.  
  
Sara smiled, "Thanks, Nick. You just solved my case."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Glad I could help."  
  
"I just wish you'd come by a couple of hours ago. My head is killing me." Sara replied rubbing her temples again.  
  
Nick looked at her with amusement. "You need to get out more, Sara."  
  
She looked at him quizzically, "I'm not sure how that's supposed to get rid of my headache."  
  
Nick let out a chuckle, "For starters, you wouldn't be spending as much time staring into a microscope."  
  
Sara deadpanned, "It's my job."  
  
Nick looked at his watch, "As of an hour and a half ago, you were supposed to be off the clock."  
  
"Oh." Sara had lost track of time. Not that this was unusual for her. She looked at Nick quizzically, "Then why are you still here."  
  
"Crime scene took longer than we thought. I just took a shower and was on my way out when I saw you in here. Warrick already left." He replied.  
  
Sara stood to leave.  
  
"Hey, why don't you come and hang out with me for a while. I'm meeting Warrick later at a club." Nick offered.  
  
Sara looked at him doubtfully, "I don't know. I should go home."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow, "And what? Listen to police scanners? Sara, come on. It'll be fun. You might even get rid of that headache."  
  
A smile began to play at her lips, "I don't know." She glanced at Nick and noticed his lopsided grin. "Ok, fine. I'll go. But don't blame me if I'm not any fun."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Do you need to go home and change or anything?"  
  
Sara glanced down at her wrinkled clothes that seem to have become one with her body, "Uh, yeah."  
  
"Ok, I'll swing by and pick you up in an hour." Nick replied. "You'll have fun, you'll see."  
  
Sara was doubtful, but she wearily drove home, took a shower, and changed her clothes, then waited for Nick to arrive. She didn't have long to wait. 


	2. Surprise

Sara had tried on five different shirts and was ready to try another when she heard a knock at her door. Blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face, she looked through the peep hole. Nick stood there looking like every woman's dream. Sara rolled her eyes. She wasn't his type and it wouldn't matter how gorgeous she thought he was, he'd never give her the time of day in a romantic sense.  
  
She opened the door.  
  
Nick flashed her a lopsided grin and in his distinctive Texas drawl he asked, "Ready to go?"  
  
She gave him a restrained smile in return, "I'm just going to change my shirt." Sara wore a pair of black low rise slacks and a cranberry colored top. It was a halter-style top that wrapped around her neck, but left her upper back exposed.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow, "Why? You look good." Actually, good wasn't what he was thinking. Sexy as hell maybe, and she didn't even know it. Or if she did, she certainly didn't act like it. Sara was comfortable in her own skin and Nick found that incredibly attractive, only he didn't think she'd ever see him any other light than friend and coworker.  
  
Sara furrowed her brow, "Ok. I guess I just need to grab my purse then."  
  
They made their way out to the parking lot and climbed into Nick's Tahoe. He began to thread it through the Las Vegas traffic. The nice thing about working the night shift in Vegas is that there is always nightlife going on somewhere, even in the middle of the day.  
  
"Where are we going?" Sara queried, realizing she was completely at Nick's mercy.  
  
He chuckled, "Warrick has a little surprise. He asked me to meet him at this new club."  
  
Sara looked curious, "What's his surprise?"  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up, "If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?"  
  
Sara laughed, "Ok, good point."  
  
A short time later, they pulled up to a building a few blocks off the strip. The parking lot had a few cars in it. As Sara looked around, she realized that most of them were LVPD issued Tahoes. She raised an eyebrow, "Is the whole crew here?"  
  
"Probably." Nick replied with a smile.  
  
They got out of the Tahoe and walked to the entrance to the club. As they entered the building, Sara's jaw dropped as she heard, "Surprise!" The entire night crew was there and a banner was hung over the stage that read, "Happy Birthday, Sara!" She had been so involved in work that she had forgotten her own birthday.  
  
"I forgot my own birthday," Sara mumbled under her breath with disbelief.  
  
Only Nick seemed to notice. The rest of the crew hugged Sara and the group settled in to have a good time. 


	3. Warrick's Observations

Warrick owned the club with a few of his friends. They tried to showcase new music talent and occasionally, Warrick would come and play as well. Today, however, Warrick just wanted his friends and colleagues to have a good time. Especially Sara. He and Nick had a fond place in their hearts for her.  
  
After a rocky start when Sara was brought on board specifically to investigate Warrick, the three younger CSIs had become fast friends and often went out and did things together. They didn't seem to do that much these days. Ever since Sara's relationship with Hank had ended badly and the lab explosion, Sara had sort of insulated herself from everyone and had plunged herself into work. They thought it was about time to pull her out of it. They didn't want her turning into another Grissom. One was more than enough for any forensics lab. Besides, whether he wanted to admit it or not, Warrick knew Nick had a thing for Sara. Of course, if he was honest, he had a thing for Catherine, but no one knew that, at least he didn't think so.  
  
Warrick sat at a table observing his friends.  
  
Grissom looked uncomfortable. That didn't surprise Warrick. He didn't get out much. After about an hour, Grissom left, saying something about needing to check on some maggots for a case he was working on. Warrick chuckled, they didn't call him bugman for nothing.  
  
Greg and Archie were having a great time. They had brought a couple of the interns that worked in the evidence vault during the night shift and they were dancing up a storm. Warrick chuckled. Those two could always find fun, they couldn't seem to keep a girl very long, but they could always find fun.  
  
He glanced over at Catherine and smiled. Catherine was talking to Sara and they were laughing. It was nice to see them get along so well. There was a time after Eddie's death when they didn't. Catherine held Sara responsible in her mind for not being able to charge the suspects in the case with murder. He was glad that it seemed to be water under the bridge at this point.  
  
Bobby the ballistics guy had gone home after shift and had returned with his wife. They seemed to be having a great time. Bobby was a good guy and everyone genuinely like him. Not like Hodges who grated on everyone. He didn't even bother to show up even under the pretense of being polite. Not that anyone really cared or noticed.  
  
Jaqui was another favorite of the night shift crew. She could pull prints off of just about anything given enough time. More than a few times she had pulled through with just what they needed to file charges and make an arrest. She was a gem. Her husband worked days, so she came alone. Warrick knew she would probably be leaving before too long to get home and get some rest so she could spend time with her husband before she had to be back at work.  
  
Warrick looked over at Nick who sat at the table with him. "Hey, ask Sara to dance."  
  
Nick grinned, "She's talking to Catherine."  
  
Warrick chuckled, "Only because you haven't asked her to dance."  
  
Nick chuckled and got out of his chair and made his way to where Sara was sitting. 


	4. Dancing

Nick walked over to where Sara and Catherine were sitting. "Hey, Sara, do you want to dance?" Catherine smiled at Nick. She knew he had a thing for Sara, even if he wouldn't quite admit it.  
  
Sara smiled at Nick, "Uh, sure. I hope you wore steel-toed boots though, I'm not a very good dancer."  
  
Nick chuckled, "I think I'll take my chances."  
  
As they walked out on the dance floor, they joined Greg, Archie, and several other lab techs and interns who were dancing to driving techno pop.  
  
Sara didn't think she was a good dancer, but Nick thought otherwise. He was mesmerized by her as they danced. As they danced, Sara laughed, and they both relaxed and became more comfortable with each other. They danced close to each other without touching and electricity seemed to surge between them without them really realizing it. Their bodies were inches apart, tantalizing each other. After several up tempo songs, a slow one came on, and Nick naturally put his hands on Sara's waist, pulling her close. She slid her hands up his chest, and as they touched, their eyes locked. The electricity that they hadn't noticed passing between them, hit them both like a jolt. Nick had a lopsided grin on his face as they danced. Sara had a bit of color creep into her face. She averted her gaze by snaking her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. What she had intended to avert her attention from him served to bring her closer to him. Their bodies were pressed up against each other and they were very conscious of each other breathing. Nick's arm unconsciously tightened around Sara's waist and her fingers began to play at the nape of his neck. They didn't seem to notice when the music changed. They simple continued to sway, lost in their own song as they danced slowly together.  
  
The rest of the night shift crew wore grins on their faces as they watched Nick and Sara discover each other.  
  
Catherine came over toward Warrick with a smile on her face and sat down at the table. "Did you know Sara forgot it was her birthday?"  
  
Warrick chuckled, "Yeah, Nick told me."  
  
"It was nice of you to throw her a party." Catherine commented.  
  
Warrick smiled, "Yeah, well, it was as good a reason as any to give those two a reason to get together."  
  
Catherine chuckled, "Matchmaking, eh?"  
  
Warrick laughed. "Neither one of them was making a move."  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow at him, "So when are you going to make a move?"  
  
Warrick raised a surprised eyebrow at a smiling Catherine, "Now's as good a time as any." He stood up and offered her his hand, "Would you like to dance?"  
  
Catherine continued smiling, "I thought you'd never ask." 


	5. Happy Birthday

Several songs played before Nick and Sara realized that the tempo had changed. Sara stepped back slightly and her eyes locked with Nick's. They continued swaying to the music. His hands still rested on her waist and her hands rested on his shoulders. A grin was etched on his face. She couldn't help but smile back. "Did I wish you a happy birthday?" Nick queried.  
  
Sara shook her head, "I don't think you did."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow, "I guess I ought to correct that. I mean it is your birthday after all."  
  
Sara let out a small chuckle and raised an eyebrow in amusement, "It's not like you to miss details, Nick. That's why you're such a good CSI."  
  
Nick replied in his distinct Texan drawl, "You think I'm a good CSI, huh?"  
  
She smiled, "You did crack my case earlier."  
  
Nick chuckled, "That's right, I did."  
  
An amused expression crossed Sara's face.  
  
"What?" Nick queried her.  
  
Sara looked away from Nick and started to giggle.  
  
"What?" He pressed.  
  
She looked up at him, "You still haven't wished me a happy birthday."  
  
A lopsided grin spread across his face, "You're right, I haven't."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him in expectation.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Sara." Nick grinned.  
  
"Thanks." She replied.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't finished yet."  
  
Sara giggled.  
  
"Can I give you your birthday present?" He asked.  
  
She looked at him curiously, "You got me a birthday present?"  
  
"It's one of a kind." Nick stated.  
  
Sara looked worried, "Look, Nick, I hope you didn't spend money on me."  
  
Nick chuckled, "If you like it, you can return it."  
  
Sara looked at him funny, "Don't you mean if I don't like it I can return it?"  
  
Nick shook his head, "No."  
  
"Ok." Sara replied quizzically.  
  
"Do you want it?" Nick asked grinning.  
  
"I think so." Sara replied studying his face.  
  
Nick had a mischievous expression on his face, "You have to close your eyes."  
  
Sara looked at him doubtfully.  
  
Nick chuckled, "Do you trust me?"  
  
Sara chuckled with a smile, "Yes."  
  
"Then close your eyes." Nick insisted smiling.  
  
Sara took a deep breath and smiled self consciously, "Ok."  
  
She closed her eyes.  
  
Before Nick could lose his nerve, he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.  
  
A surprised Sara opened her eyes in disbelief.  
  
Nick looked at her hopefully.  
  
She cocked her head to one side and her mouth opened slightly as if she was about to say something, but then decided not to.  
  
Nick bit his lower lip and let out a deep breath.  
  
A smile began to form on Sara's lips.  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows questioningly.  
  
Sara's smile widened and she slid her hands to the back of Nick's neck and pulled him toward her so she could return the kiss.  
  
Nick smiled into the kiss.  
  
The rest of the night crew clapped.  
  
Nick and Sara broke their kiss grinning.  
  
"So, you liked your present then?" Nick queried.  
  
Sara nodded her grin widening.  
  
"So, would you go out with me then?" He asked.  
  
She nodded and pulled him in for another kiss.  
  
Neither of them noticed Warrick and Catherine dancing over in the corner, bemused grins firmly etched on their faces as they watched Nick and Sara. 


	6. Catherine

"So, when exactly were you going to make a move?" Catherine queried Warrick with a devilish grin on her face.  
  
Warrick chuckled as he looked down at the petite redhead as she danced in his arms, "I was gonna get there eventually. You just beat me to it."  
  
Catherine chuckled.  
  
"Besides, I wasn't sure you'd go for a younger man." Warrick quipped.  
  
Catherine's eyebrows shot up, "Oh, so you thought I'd go for Grissom?"  
  
Warrick chuckled, "I didn't say that. Besides, I think Grissom's ideal woman has six legs and a pair of wings."  
  
Catherine laughed, "Oh, you forget about his tarantula Fluffy. She has eight legs."  
  
Warrick glanced out on the dance floor just in time to see Nick lean down and kiss Sara. Warrick chuckled softly "Way to go, Nick."  
  
Catherine turned her head toward the dance floor as a myriad of expressions crossed Sara's face and then she pulled Nick into another kiss. A bemused grin spread across Catherine's face as the rest of the night crew clapped.  
  
Warrick turned his attention back to Catherine, "Seems like Nick has the right idea."  
  
Catherine glanced up at Warrick, her eyebrows raised and a grin spreading across her face as she slid her hands up his chest.  
  
Warrick smiled and cupped the sides of her face with his hands as he leaned down and kissed her.  
  
Catherine smiled as they broke the kiss. "Even better than I thought it would be."  
  
Warrick chuckled. The pair made their way back to the table they had been sitting at and exchanged an amused glance as they noticed that Nick and Sara were still slow dancing despite the fact that the music tempo had sped up considerably. Warrick glanced at Catherine, "I'll be back in a few minutes." Catherine just nodded.  
  
Warrick made his way up to the stage and sat behind a mic at the piano. The song everyone was dancing to finished and Warrick spoke into the mic, "I'm glad you all had a good time. Happy Birthday, Sara. It looks like you got something you wanted."  
  
A few catcalls went out from the crowd as Sara's face flushed a bit red. Nick pulled her closed and kissed her.  
  
"Well, I've got something I've been working on that I want to share with all of you before we wrap things up here." Warrick began to play a song that he had composed. It was a slow jazz melody. The couples on the floor began to dance slowly.  
  
Sara snaked her arms around Nick's neck and whispered into his ear, "Thanks for making my birthday special, Nick."  
  
Nick smiled and whispered back, "You are special, Sara."  
  
Sara whispered, "Want to come over for a while?"  
  
Nick chuckled, "Yeah, I would."  
  
As the strains of Warrick's song faded away, the night shift crew began to leave in pairs. Leaving only Warrick and Catherine.  
  
Catherine smiled at him as he closed up the club, "I've got to go pick up Lindsey, I'll see you tonight though."  
  
Warrick smiled, "Ok." He leaned down and kissed her before she left.  
  
Warrick chuckled to himself. It had been a great party. 


	7. Kisses

Nick walked Sara to her door. As she unlocked it and opened it, she turned around and smiled. "I'm really glad you made me come out with you."  
  
Nick grinned at her as he followed her into the apartment. "I'm glad you didn't slap me after I kissed you."  
  
Sara's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Why would I have slapped you?"  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at her, "If I had tried to kiss you a few months ago, Sara, you would have tried to kick my ass."  
  
She chuckled, "Ok, that's probably true, but only because it's such a nice ass."  
  
Nick's face flushed with color and he glanced at the floor for a moment chuckling.  
  
Sara laughed, "Are you blushing?"  
  
Nick grinned at her, "You like my ass, huh?"  
  
Sara blushed.  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up in amusement, "Now look who's blushing?"  
  
Sara looked him full in the face with an embarrassed grin. "It's a nice ass."  
  
Nick glanced at Sara's butt and smiled as met her gaze again, "Yours is pretty nice too, Sara."  
  
Sara crossed her arms in front of her body. She tried to suppress a grin as her cheeks flushed pink again.  
  
Nick chuckled, "You're cute when you're embarrassed."  
  
"Who said I'm embarrassed?" Sara challenged, her cheeks still flushed pink.  
  
Nick put his hands on her waist and looked down at her, "I'm a CSI, it's my job to observe people. The evidence of your pink cheeks tells me that you're embarrassed."  
  
Sara slid her hands up his chest and fingered his lapel as she glanced up at him, "Hmm, the evidence doesn't lie."  
  
Nick shook his head, "No, it doesn't." He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.  
  
Sara slid her arms around Nick's waist and tipped her head back. "What is the evidence telling you now?"  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow and studied her for a moment. With a grin on his face he leaned his face toward her, "It tells me that I'm going to kiss you."  
  
Sara smiled as Nick's lips met hers. Sara slid her hands down to Nick's butt and squeezed it momentarily.  
  
Nick broke the kiss, both eyebrows raised as he looked at her, "Checking out my ass?"  
  
Sara giggled and began kissing Nick's neck, "Did the evidence tell you that?"  
  
Nick chuckled, "You could say that." His lips found Sara's again and he slid his hands down and cupped her butt, pressing her against him as he squeezed it.  
  
Sara giggled into the kiss as Nick's hands fondled her butt.  
  
After a moment he broke the kiss resting his forehead against hers. "What's so funny?"  
  
"You." She giggled.  
  
"Me?" Nick chuckled.  
  
Sara nodded, "You're checking my ass out like a piece of fruit in the produce aisle."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow and squeezed her butt again. "No, I'd say it's Grade A 100% prime beef."  
  
Sara raised her eyebrows in mock horror, "The only reason you're getting away with that one, Stokes, is because you're from Texas and you're cute."  
  
"You're pretty cute too." He leaned down and kissed her again.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Sara yawned.  
  
Nick looked at her with a lopsided grin, "Hey, I should probably get going. We both have to work in a few hours and I don't know about you, but I'm tired."  
  
Sara slid her hands up his chest as her arms snaked around his neck, "You could stay here."  
  
Nick looked down at her with both eyebrows raised, "Sara."  
  
She leaned up and kissed him softly. As she broke the kiss she looked into his eyes, "Just sleeping, Nick. I'm not ready either." 


	8. Sleepy

In the end, Nick stayed. He and Sara were both exhausted. They kicked their shoes off and crawled onto Sara's bed fully clothed, not bothering to pull the comforter over them. Within a few minutes they were both asleep. Sara woke several hours later. As she became more alert, she realized that she and Nick had tangled themselves together as they slept. Her right arm was pinned under Nick and his head rested on her right shoulder. A soft warm breeze from his breath blew against her ear. In his sleep, Nick had managed to sling his right leg over her left so that it rested between hers. As Sara stirred she realized that Nick's right hand rested fully on her left breast.  
  
In an effort to remove his hand from her breast without waking him up, Sara reached down with her left hand and cupped his right elbow.  
  
Nick stirred. And as he did, his fingers brushed the most sensitive part of her breast as his hand began to message it through the fabric of her blouse. In his sleepy state, he began to kiss her neck as his hand continued to massage her breast.  
  
Sara had a quiver in her throat, "Mmmmm." She closed her eyes. She was torn between the incredible sensations this was causing in her body and her desire to take things slow with Nick. "Nick." Her voice was husky.  
  
"Mmmmm." Nick's lips continued their assault on her neck, moving toward her mouth.  
  
Sara tried to free her right arm, but only succeeded in moving her hand against Nick's side as his shirt rode up. She turned her head and her lips met Nick's. In seconds she had opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue as hers began to dance furiously with his.  
  
Nick became more alert and he realized where his hand was. He slid it off her breast.  
  
"Nnnnno. Nick." Sara mumbled against his mouth as she put her left hand over his right and put it back on her breast. She turned her body toward his, pressing herself against him.  
  
Nick shifted his weight so he rested more fully on Sara, "Mmmm. Sara." His voice was husky. His hand continued to massage her breast through her blouse as he kissed her.  
  
With her right arm free, Sara slid her hand down to cup Nick's butt through his jeans, pushing him against her. She tilted her hips to grind against him.  
  
Nick's voice cracked, "Sara." He was becoming extremely aroused.  
  
Sara felt it and pressed against him, she was equally aroused. As she moved under him, she moaned. "Nick."  
  
"Ahh. Sara." Nick groaned. He began to rock against her as she moved beneath him.  
  
Neither of them made any move to remove any clothing as they continued to feed their arousal, pressing and moving their bodies against each other. A few moments later, Sara felt Nick explode against her.  
  
He collapsed against her, breathing heavily. He murmured her name against her ear, "Sara."  
  
He rolled off of her a few moments later, pulling her with him, so she rested across his chest, their legs still partially tangled. They looked at each other, not quite sure what to say.  
  
Finally, Sara whispered trying to catch her breath, "Damn that was hot, Nick."  
  
"Hell, yeah." Nick replied still trying to catch his breath.  
  
Sara waggled her eyebrows at him, "Almost as good as real sex."  
  
Nick chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her, "Yeah, but I still think the real thing is a little more satisfying."  
  
A sly smile tugged at Sara's mouth, "Yeah, me too." She leaned down and kissed him.  
  
Nick reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair.  
  
As they broke the kiss, she smiled more fully, "Too bad we have to go to work, some real satisfaction sounds nice."  
  
Nick rolled them over and kissed Sara deeply. As he broke the kiss, he raised an eyebrow, "Are we ready for that?"  
  
Sara searched his face and smiled, "I don't know, but I sure as hell want you." She let out a deep breath and rolled away from Nick, pulling herself off the bed, "Right now, we need to get ready for work though."  
  
A slightly embarrassed expression crossed Nick's face, "Uh, Sara, I'm gonna need to go home and change my clothes before work."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him, a slightly amused expression on her face, "I guess you will." 


	9. Nicky

They had every intention of getting to work on time.  
  
Nick had remained on Sara's bed after Sara had pulled herself off of it. Her words replayed in his mind over and over again 'damn that was hot, Nick' 'almost as good as real sex' 'I sure as hell want you'. He rested his arm over his eyes. What had they just done? He wasn't completely sure. They had planned to just sleep. The image of her face as they had pressed and moved against each other fully clothed until he'd gotten release played over in his mind. Damn she was sexy.  
  
"What are you thinking about, Nick?" Sara queried him.  
  
Nick glanced up at her and swallowed hard. Damn she was sexy. Nick wasn't sure exactly how long he had been lying on her bed, but it must have been a while because it was evident that Sara had taken a shower. Her hair was wet and she wore a robe that clung to her wet body. Her current attire only served to feed his desire for her.  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow, "Nick?" She tousled her wet hair with a towel.  
  
"I'm sorry." Nick sat up, staring at Sara. He wondered if she knew how much he wanted her right then.  
  
A smile played at her lips, "What were you thinking about?"  
  
A sheepish smile played at his lips as he met her gaze, "Uh, Sara, what did we just do?"  
  
Sara chuckled, "You were there."  
  
Nick chuckled nervously, "Uh, no, that's not what I meant. I mean. Crap this is hard."  
  
A quizzical expression crossed Sara's face.  
  
Nick smiled and continued, "We both said before we went to sleep that all we were going to do was sleep." He cleared his throat and chuckled, "I'd have to say that what we just did hardly qualifies as just sleeping."  
  
Sara studied Nick. "It was pretty hot."  
  
Nick nodded studying her, "Yeah, it was."  
  
"Are you sorry you stayed?" Sara queried.  
  
"Not sorry, just a little confused." Nick replied.  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow, "Confused."  
  
Nick nodded, "Do we want to take things slow? Because, that sure sped things up quite a bit."  
  
Sara glanced at the floor and then back up at Nick. "Yeah, I know." Sara fingered the tie to her robe in a nervous gesture.  
  
Nick swallowed hard as his thoughts drifted to helping Sara out of her robe. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. Letting out a deep breath, he opened his eyes again.  
  
Sara had a curious expression on her face. "Nick, what's wrong?"  
  
He had a deer in the headlights expression on his face. "Uh, nothing. I think I've got a change of clothes in my Tahoe, we need to get to work." He stood up and headed towards the bedroom door.  
  
Sara stopped him halfway across the room. "Hey, it's still my birthday, I want another kiss." A smile tugged at her lips as she snaked her arms around his waist.  
  
Nick's breathing was ragged as he looked down at her, "Sara, I don't think I could stop at kissing you right now. You have no idea how much I want you."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him and leaned up to kiss him. "I think I have a pretty good idea." She kissed him deeply.  
  
Breaking the kiss, Nick slid his arms around her waist, "Sara, we have to get to work."  
  
Sara replied with a devilish grin, "I think work can wait. It's my birthday."  
  
Nick swallowed hard, "Grissom is going to be pissed."  
  
Sara chuckled, "Who cares?" She leaned up and kissed him again.  
  
This time Nick responded fully, parting his lips as their tongues began an intimate dance.  
  
Sara's hands pulled at the hem of Nick's shirt as they walked back towards the bed.  
  
Nick pulled away from her long enough to help her pull it over his head. As soon as his shirt was out of the way, Nick crushed her against him, kissing her desperately. His hands slid down, gripping her butt through her robe as he fell onto the bed, pulling Sara on top of him.  
  
"You're overdressed, Nicky." She murmured against his lips. She reached between them and unfastened his belt and began to unbutton the top button of his jeans.  
  
"So are you." He murmured back sliding his hands under the robe and cupping the bare flesh of her butt with his hands.  
  
Sara lowered the zipper on Nick's jeans and began trying to tug them down. She wasn't having much success.  
  
"Sara, you feel so good." Nick murmured as he continued to caress her butt.  
  
"I can't get your pants off. You need to help me, Nick." Sara murmured against his lips.  
  
Nick gripped her butt and rolled them over so that Sara was beneath him. He let go of her and lifted himself up enough to help her pull his jeans off when his cell phone rang. Nick let out a curse and rested against Sara as he pulled the phone off of his belt and answered. "Stokes."  
  
Sara continued pulling his jeans down.  
  
"Hey, Warrick, what's up?" Nick continued, closing his eyes as Sara managed to pull his boxers about halfway down.  
  
Sara began kissing his neck, her hands sliding down and gripping his butt.  
  
Nick's voice wavered, "Uh, I'm just getting ready for work." Nick bit his tongue as Sara slid his boxers down further, her hands roaming his bare butt.  
  
Sara kissed him impatiently, she began to pull her robe open between them.  
  
The sensation of bare flesh pressed to bare flesh hit Nick's senses, "Warrick, I have to go. I be there in a little while." He ended the call and tossed his cell phone onto the floor. He turned his full attention back to Sara. He quickly finished divesting himself of his jeans and boxers. He pressed his lips to hers and they quickly became lost in each other. They touched, caressed, explored, and aroused their bodies, finally collapsing against each other as they reached the height of physical pleasure.  
  
Sara was the first of the pair to arrive at work. She had actually managed to arrive ten minutes early. She was sipping a cup of coffee when the rest of the team, minus Nick, assembled for assignments.  
  
Shift had officially started and Grissom was ready to hand out assignments. There was still no sign of Nick. "Anyone know where Nick is?" Grissom queried. 


	10. Late

Apparently, September 16th wasn't a popular night for criminals in Vegas because the team of CSIs had yet to be called out to a crime scene. All this did was to give them time to fuel their worry for Nick. It was three and a half hours into shift and no one had heard from him despite several attempts to reach him on both his home phone and his cell phone.  
  
Sara, Warrick, and Catherine were sitting in the break room trying to catch up on paperwork until they got a call to go out to a crime scene. The trio had alternately tried to call Nick. It occurred to Sara the third time she tried to call him, that the reason Nick hadn't answered his cell phone was most likely because it was still on her bedroom floor under her robe. If she wasn't so worried about him, the thought would have brought a smile to her face.  
  
Grissom walked into the break room and looked at the trio over the rim of his glasses, "Anyone heard from Nick yet?"  
  
They all shook their heads.  
  
"I called Brass, he's got some uniforms out looking for him." Grissom concluded.  
  
"Good." Warrick stated, "It's not like Nick to not call."  
  
Sara was silent, her thoughts were lost in worry about Nick. Where the hell could he have gone after he'd left her apartment? He was supposed to go home and change his clothes and come right in. It should have only take him twenty minutes at most. Sara knew something was wrong. She looked up at the other three, "Did anyone call the hospitals?"  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow, "Sara, I'm sure Nick's fine. He probably overslept and turned his ringer off or something."  
  
"No, Cath, I talked to him earlier on his cell phone and he said he was getting ready for work." Warrick recalled trying to figure out where his friend could be.  
  
"Brass will call us if he hears anything." Grissom stated.  
  
A tear slipped down Sara's cheek. She tried to brush it away without anyone noticing. They all did.  
  
Catherine had a look of concern on her face, "Sara, are you ok?"  
  
Another tear followed the first, and another, until they were streaming down Sara's face. "Something's happened to Nick. He should be here by now."  
  
Catherine reached out and touched Sara's arm, she glanced at Warrick and Grissom with a curious expression, "Sara, I'm sure he's fine."  
  
Grissom's cell phone rang. "Grissom. You did. Ok, Jim, where? What happened?" A few moments of silence ensued. "We'll be right there." He ended the call and glanced at the other CSIs who's eyes were fixed on him. He had a serious expression on his face, "Nick's at Desert Palm Hospital, he's been in a car accident." 


	11. Wreck

Nick had been headed home from Sara's to change his clothes when a dump truck filled with debris from a demolition site pulled in front of him. The dump truck had pulled out too fast and the driver appeared to be trying to steady the vehicle when a chunk of metal came off his load and into the path of Nick's Tahoe. Nick trying to avoid the metal in the roadway, ended up overcorrecting after he blew the right front tire, losing control of the Tahoe. He never made it home that day. Instead he ended up suspended from his seatbelt as the Tahoe sat upside down in a ditch. The dump truck driver seemed oblivious to the fact that he had just caused an accident in his wake and continued on with his load.  
  
By the time a passerby stopped to see what was going on, an hour and a half had elapsed. Nick had struck his head on the window and as he hung upside down for over an hour he faded in and out of consciousness. The Tahoe was a mangled mass of twisted metal.  
  
Once the paramedics and the fire department arrived, they were able to free an unconscious Nick from the wreckage. They fitted a cervical collar around his neck and strapped him to a backboard to prevent further injury. Nick had suffered no obvious outward physical trauma outside of cuts and abrasions, but his lack of consciousness was cause for concern. When he arrived at the hospital, and they had determined that his vitals were strong, they had a CT scan done to check for internal injuries and for the stability of his spine.  
  
Once it was discovered that the Tahoe was LVPD issued, Brass quickly learned about the accident. He met the four concerned CSIs in the emergency room of Desert Palm Hospital. Brass had a worried expression on his face.  
  
Grissom raised an eyebrow in inquiry, "Jim, what's the word on Nick?"  
  
"All I know is that when they brought him in he wasn't conscious. Apparently, he rolled the Tahoe several times and was there for a while before he was discovered. I haven't heard anything about the extent of his injuries." Brass answered.  
  
The color drained out of Sara's face. Warrick caught her before she hit the floor. When she came to a few seconds later, four worried faces were looking at her. Warrick helped her into a chair.  
  
Grissom knelt down next to her, "Sara. Are you ok?"  
  
Tears began streaming down her face, "I knew something was wrong. I knew he should have been there. It should have only taken him twenty minutes from my apartment. If I hadn't asked him to stay, he'd be alright."  
  
Worried glances were exchanged. No one was really following what Sara was saying, except that somehow she was blaming herself.  
  
"Sara, it's not your fault that Nick's hurt." Catherine began.  
  
"Yes, it is. If he'd" Sara continued.  
  
Warrick cut her off, "Sara, you can't play the what if game. You didn't cause Nick's accident." Warrick put an arm around her shoulder, giving her a brotherly hug. "You need to wait for the evidence, find out what happened. Don't beat yourself up."  
  
Grissom interjected, "Warrick's right." He stood up and motioned to Catherine and Brass. "I'll see if I can find out anything more." Catherine stood up and followed Brass and Grissom.  
  
"I need to get back to meet an officer, we've got an arrest to make in the case at the Mirage. Let me know when you find out about Nicky." Brass excused himself.  
  
"Will do." Grissom replied. He turned to Catherine, "I need your people skills."  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow, "I'll see if I can find out anything about Nick."  
  
"Thanks." Grissom answered. He paused and looked at her perplexed, "Catherine, is there something going on between Nick and Sara?"  
  
A tiny smile played at her lips, "Yeah, there is." Catherine turned and walked toward the nurses station.  
  
Grissom went in search of coffee for them all.  
  
Warrick tried to comfort Sara, "Sara, he's gonna be alright."  
  
"If I hadn't made him stay, Warrick, he'd be ok." Sara reasoned.  
  
Warrick chuckled, "Sara, I'm sure he wasn't that hard to convince. You're a beautiful woman and he's wanted to go out with you since he met you."  
  
A few minutes later, Catherine returned. She shook her head, "Still no word, they're still running tests."  
  
Grissom returned a short time later with coffee in hand.  
  
The wait continued. 


	12. Waking Up

Nick was disoriented. The last clear thought he had was driving home from Sara's apartment. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he remembered the events in Sara's bedroom. Damn. His head felt like he'd taken a line drive to his forehead. He wasn't quite sure where he was.  
  
"Good, you're awake. How are you feeling?" A kind face asked him.  
  
"I feel like hell." Nick answered. "What happened?"  
  
"You were in a car accident. You're really lucky, you know. You don't have any broken bones, just a sprained wrist and a bruised sternum. I imagine you've got a nice concussion as well with that knot on your forehead." The face continued.  
  
A hospital. Ok, that made more sense. "Damn, I'm supposed to be at work. Does anyone know I'm here?" Nick wondered aloud. "Sara's gonna be worried. I need to see Sara."  
  
"I believe there are some people in the waiting room, but we've been trying to finish up these tests on you to make sure you're ok. You can see them shortly." The face concluded.  
  
Nick closed his eyes. He tried to remember what had happened. Pieces of the puzzle flashed in and out of his mind. He had a vague recollection of the right front tire of the Tahoe blowing out after it had hit something. He lost control of it shortly after that. He remembered tumbling over and over, narrowly missing a telephone pole. Damn he was lucky. If he hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, he knew he might not be alive.  
  
He was being wheeled somewhere. He kept his eyes closed to shade them from the overhead fluorescent lights. Finally, he was in what he supposed was some sort of exam room. He opened his eyes, wincing as the soreness in his body from being tumbled around set in. He knew with a concussion that he was most likely not going to get pain medication, at least not right away. He'd have to be woken up every couple of hours. He hoped they'd discharge him. Maybe Sara would stay with him.  
  
He replayed the events of the morning over and over in his head. He still couldn't believe that Sara wanted him as much as he wanted her. He smiled. 


	13. Relief

"Are you here for Nick Stokes?" a doctor asked.  
  
Sara gripped Warrick's hand. Grissom spoke for them all, "We are. How is he?"  
  
A smile formed on the doctor's face, "He's awake. He's very lucky. He's got a concussion, a sprained wrist, and a bruised sternum. He's going to be very sore for a few days, but other than that he's fine. We're going to discharge him fairly soon."  
  
"Thank God." Catherine uttered what they were all thinking.  
  
"Is one of you Sara?" the doctor asked.  
  
"Yeah." Sara replied looking anxious.  
  
"He's been asking for you." The doctor smiled and motioned her to follow.  
  
Sara followed the doctor down the hall. She paused at the door to the exam room and took a deep breath. Slowly she entered and walked over toward Nick.  
  
Nick heard footsteps and opened his eyes. A smiled began to form on his face as he saw Sara.  
  
Sara sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to kiss him, "Nick Stokes, you scared the hell out of me." A tear slid down her cheek.  
  
Nick furrowed his brow and reached up to wipe the tear away, "I scared the hell out of myself too, Sara." He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her down for another kiss.  
  
They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Nick glanced up and smiled, "Hey, Warrick."  
  
"Can we come in?" Warrick queried.  
  
"Hell yeah." Nick answered.  
  
Warrick, Catherine, and Grissom filed into the small room. Catherine walked over and gingerly gave Nick a hug, "I'm glad you're alright, we were worried about you, Nicky."  
  
"Thanks, Cath." Nick replied.  
  
"I'm not gonna get sentimental on you, bro. I'm glad you're ok. You had poor Sara here worried though. It's a good thing you're gonna be fine, she'd have had to kick your ass otherwise." Warrick interjected jovially.  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows, wincing slightly, and smiled, "She does have a thing for my ass."  
  
Sara's face flushed pink and her mouth opened up in mock protest, "You're going to pay for that comment later, Stokes."  
  
"I'll look forward to it." His smile widened into a grin as the color in Sara's face deepened.  
  
"Nick, the doctor said they were going to be discharging you shortly. Do you want us to give you a ride home?" Grissom queried.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks." Nick replied. He reached out and took Sara's hand in his.  
  
"I'm going to go call Brass. He wanted to know how you were doing." Grissom stated as he headed for the doorway.  
  
"I'm sorry about the Tahoe." Nick called after Grissom.  
  
Grissom turned around for a moment a half smile playing at his lips, "We're all just glad you're going to be ok, Nicky."  
  
Nick glanced at Warrick, "Hey, bro, can you do me a favor?"  
  
Warrick nodded, "Yeah, what do you need?"  
  
"I need a change of clothes." Nick replied. "I don't exactly want to go home in this." He gestured toward the hospital gown.  
  
Sara raised her eyebrows in an amused expression, "So, what you're saying is, you don't have any clothes on under there."  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows at her in return, "Easy, Sar, I'm an injured man."  
  
Catherine chuckled, "I'll go with Warrick and let you two be alone."  
  
"Bye, Cath." Nick replied, his gaze not leaving Sara's face.  
  
Catherine and Warrick departed leaving Nick and Sara alone.  
  
A devilish grin played on Sara's lips. "So, are you too injured to do this?" She leaned down and kissed him.  
  
"Hmm, I think that actually makes me feel better. But we'll have to try that again, just to make sure." Nick grinned as he tangled his fingers in her hair again, pulling her down for a kiss.  
  
They didn't notice when Grissom came back and then slowly retreated to the waiting room, a half smile etched on his lips. 


	14. Sore

Nick was sore. It hurt every time he breathed because of his bruised sternum. His head still felt like he'd taken a line drive right in his forehead. Of his specific injuries, his sprained wrist hurt the least, however, every muscle in his body was sore. Once he had assured the doctor that he'd have someone staying with him to wake him up every few hours, he'd been given some vicodin for the pain. He didn't remember his couch being this uncomfortable. Nick lay his head back against the couch. He hoped Sara would return soon. He didn't have much to each in the house. He had planned to go grocery shopping on his way home form work. Sara had offered to go for him instead. He smiled and hoped she bought him some meat. He wasn't particularly fond of vegetarian fare.  
  
He heard the front door open and he craned his neck slightly as he watched Sara enter, a smile on her face. Nick's eyebrows went up in surprise as he saw Warrick follow in her wake.  
  
Sara gestured behind her, "Look what I found lurking outside." Sara looked happy.  
  
"Hey, man. Thought I'd come by and see how you were." Warrick explained.  
  
"Thanks, man." Nick replied.  
  
Sara made her way over to Nick and gingerly sat next to him on the couch so she could kiss him. "Mmm. How are you feeling?"  
  
He smiled, "Like I rolled a Tahoe three times and hung upside down for a while."  
  
Sara's expression clouded for just a moment before a tiny smile crossed her face, "Damn, Nick, I am so glad you're ok."  
  
"Me too." He tangled his fingers in her hair as he cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for another kiss.  
  
Warrick cleared his throat. "If I'm catching you at a bad time."  
  
Nick chuckled as he glanced up at Warrick. "No, man, stay a while. The Discovery Channel is getting a little old."  
  
Sara and Warrick both laughed. Nick was constantly being teased for being a Discovery Channel junkie.  
  
"Sara, please tell me you bought something to eat that has meat in it." Nick flashed her a Texas grin, wincing slightly in the process.  
  
Both of her eyebrows shot up in amusement and she leaned in to kiss him again briefly, "You'll just have to wait and find out."  
  
Warrick settled on a chair near the couch, leaning back and relaxing.  
  
Sara got up and moved toward the kitchen, beginning to unpack the groceries she'd picked up for Nick.  
  
"Glad you're ok, man." Warrick stated sincerely.  
  
"Thanks. Doctor says I can go back to work in a couple of days, light duty. As soon as my damn head stops pounding." Nick replied gingerly rubbing his temple.  
  
"Do you remember what happened?" Warrick queried.  
  
"Bits and pieces of it. I remember driving towards my house and this dump truck pulling out in front of me. Something fell off it's load and I guess I must not have been able to avoid it because I hit it. The tire blew and I couldn't get control of the Tahoe." Nick explained.  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow, "The driver of the dump truck didn't stop."  
  
Nick leveled a gaze at Warrick, "I hung upside down for over an hour and a half, what do you think?"  
  
Warrick let out a stream of curses.  
  
Nick chuckled, "Yeah, I've said all those too."  
  
"Is anyone checking in to find this guy?" Warrick asked.  
  
"I'd assume so since I department Tahoe was totaled." Nick replied.  
  
"Yeah." Warrick looked over at Nick with a slightly amused expression. "Uh, Nick, why were you headed home when you were supposed to be going to work?"  
  
Sara glanced up from what she was doing. Nick looked at her for a moment. Before he could reply, she answered for him, "He was with me, Warrick."  
  
Nick looked over at Warrick, "I needed to go home and grab a change of clothes before work."  
  
Warrick looked at Sara and then back at Nick. He chuckled. "Your secrets safe with me."  
  
Sara chuckled, "Uh, Warrick, half the lab saw Nick and I kissing on the dance floor. I'd hardly call our relationship a secret."  
  
Nick looked over at her and a smile spread across his face. "Good point, Sar."  
  
"Well, I'm sure they don't all know that you're sleeping together." Warrick quipped.  
  
Sara deadpanned, "Well, when I walk by and grab Nick's ass, they'll know something's up."  
  
Warrick looked at her in disbelief for a moment and then noticed the smile playing at her lips. He started laughing.  
  
Nick glanced over at Warrick with a smirk on his face, "I told you she had a thing for my ass."  
  
Sara raised her eyebrow at him in amusement, "Well, I seem to recall you having a thing for mine, Stokes."  
  
Warrick laughed harder.  
  
Sara finished what she was doing in the kitchen and put something in the oven. She reached into her purse and pulled something out before walking over and sitting down next to Nick on the couch. She handed him his cell phone.  
  
"Where did you find it?" Nick queried.  
  
She waggled her eyebrows at him, "On my bedroom floor, under my robe." 


	15. Tears

Sara ,Warrick, and Nick had continued their banter around the table as they ate. Warrick had helped Sara with the dishes and Nick was close to falling asleep on the couch in his sweats. Nick was exhausted.  
  
"Hey, man, I'm taking off. I'll see you later." Warrick called out as he headed out the front door.  
  
Nick's head bobbed up, "Ok, later, War." He lifted his hand to wave wincing in the process.  
  
Sara closed the front door and made her way over to Nick. "You need to get some rest, Nick."  
  
Nick looked at her, his eyelids heavy. He cursed under his breath momentarily. "I need to call my mom. If I don't and she hears about this later, she's going to kill me. Can you hand me the phone?"  
  
Sara took the phone from it's charger and handed it to his as she sat next to him on the couch.  
  
Nick punched in the familiar number and after a few rings someone picked up on the other end. Nick smiled as he heard his mom's voice. "Hey, Mom, it's Nick." He chuckled, "I know, I'd know your voice anywhere too." Nick took a deep breath. "Mom, I called because I need to tell you something." A smile took over his masculine face, "No, Mom, I'm not getting married. I do have a new girlfriend though." He glanced over at Sara, who was trying to contain a chuckle. "You remember Sara? Yeah, that's the one." Nick took Sara's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Uh, Mom, I called because I needed to let you know that I was in a car accident last night." Nick's voice took on a serious, yet reassuring tone, "No, Mom. I'm ok. Just a few bumps and bruises mostly and a little concussion." Sara squeezed his hand. "Uh, it was totaled." A hitch formed in Nick's voice. "Hey, don't cry, Mom. I'm fine. A little rest and I'll be as good as new. Don't worry, Sara's making sure I'm following the doctor's orders." Nick let out a sniffle as he tried to fight back tears that threatened. "I love you too, Mom." He ended the call and closed his eyes.  
  
Sara squeezed his hand. "Everything alright?"  
  
He opened his eyes and smiled at her, putting on a brave face as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I came awfully close to never seeing them again."  
  
Tears formed in Sara's eyes and then began rolling down her cheeks. "I know. If I hadn't made you stay with me, this wouldn't have happened."  
  
Nick eyes clouded and he began to caress the back of Sara's hand with his thumb, "Sara Sidle, this is not your fault. You did not make me stay with you. I wanted to stay with you. Wild horses couldn't have kept me from staying with you. I know things between us have been moving at warp speed, but I wanted to be with you. Don't you even think otherwise."  
  
Sara began to choke with sobs. She had been doing a good job of holding it together all day, but she finally fell apart. "I feel so stupid. If I hadn't. If we hadn't. Oh, Nick."  
  
Nick put his arms around her and gingerly held her against his bruised chest, kissing the top of her head. "Shhh, Sara. It's ok. It's not your fault."  
  
Her tears subsided eventually and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling. "If you didn't have such a damn fine ass, Stokes." A hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth.  
  
Nick let out a chuckle, "There you go about my ass again."  
  
She pulled out of his embrace, a smile etched on her face. "I told you it's a cute ass."  
  
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her, "Well, I think yours is pretty hot too."  
  
Sara laughed and stood up. "Hey, you need to get some rest."  
  
Nick eased himself off the couch, "Yeah, I know." He looked at Sara and noted how tired she looked. "I think you need some too. C'mon." He took her hand and led her into his bedroom. They held each other as they drifted off to sleep, thankful that the Tahoe had been the only real casualty of the day. 


	16. Love

Sara couldn't help but watch Nick as he slept. She knew she needed to wake him up, but she wanted to watch him a while longer. She was thankful that he was there beside her. Things could have turned out so differently. A smile formed on her lips as he stirred next to her.  
  
His eyes opened and his mouth turned up in a smile as he saw her staring at him. "Hey, Sar."  
  
"Hey, yourself." Sara reached over and caressed his cheek with her fingers. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"A little stiff, but my head doesn't seem to hurt as much." He reached up and took her hand in his. "Sara?"  
  
"Yeah?" She studied him in the dim light of the bedroom.  
  
"I don't want to sound fatalistic, but I think we need to talk about us, and where this is headed." His face looked contemplative.  
  
Sara felt a flutter in her stomach, "What do you mean, Nick?"  
  
He smiled again and began caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. "I really care about you. Things between us moved a lot faster than I think either of us planned on."  
  
She smiled at the memory, "Yeah."  
  
He squeezed her hand, "Waking up in the hospital yesterday I realized that life is too short and too precious to waste time on things that don't mean anything."  
  
Sara looked confused.  
  
Nick chuckled, "Sara, I'm not talking about you."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him and her lips turned up at the corners into a tiny smile. "Good, because if you were going to tell me that I don't mean anything, I'd have to kick your ass."  
  
Nick raised both eyebrows at her, "There you go with my ass again." He chuckled.  
  
Sara laughed in return.  
  
His expression softened. "Seriously though. In our jobs we never really know what we're going to encounter. I've had a gun pulled on me twice, I seriously thought I was going to die both times. I could have died yesterday."  
  
Sara looked away from him. "I know."  
  
Nick reached out and lifted her chin with his fingers so that she looked at him again. "Sara, I don't want to have regrets in my life. I want to know that when I do die that the people in my life know how I felt about them. I don't want there to be any room for doubt." Nick caressed her cheek with his hand. "You're very important to me. Since the day I met you I thought you were amazing. You've become one of my closest friends, and I treasure that. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm extremely attracted to you."  
  
Sara chuckled, "The feeling's mutual." She leaned in to kiss him briefly.  
  
He smiled as they broke the kiss, "What I'm trying to say, Sar, is that I'm in love with you. I want to see where this thing between us is going to go. To see if it's the real thing. To see if it's a forever thing."  
  
Sara looked into his eyes studying him as he talked. A smile slowly formed on her face and she reached over and traced his lips with her fingers. Sara leaned over and pressed her lips gently against his, cupping his face with her palm. As she broke the kiss, she looked into his eyes. "I love you too, Nick." 


End file.
